ArcadeTown and Grab Games sponsor a delightful bit of eye-candy in the theme of “Diner Dash” and other progressive strategy games. I had the honor of accepting for review a game called “Belle’s Beauty Boutique”. Something stoked my pseudo-feminist heart to see another game appealing to the idea of a young female entrepreneur making her start all on her own.

On the technical end, the game is relatively small. The installation is easy, and every step of the installation and activation process is simple. From the beginning of the download to the opening screen, it took less than two minutes, a definite bonus for those who wish to play a cute game without the fuss of waiting for a long download.

Once you open the game to play, cheery music and colorful icons greet you. Definitely a game designed for the females of the species, the main menu is a lovely shade of pinks and purples. Belle, the title character, is a hip young woman with pink hair and an easy smile. The art is crisp, and reminded me quite a bit of the retro Bewitched comic style.

After entering my name, I promptly began play. Upon starting, you are given the option to run through story mode or to play an endless game of beauty. For now, I’ll lead you on a virtual tour of the story mode, which is where I’d suggest beginning if you’ve never played before. It’s my policy to play a game in story mode the first time I play it, because story mode is where you’re going to get the history of the game you’re playing. You also may get a “free round” with tutorials and tips, so let’s see what Belle’s Beauty Boutique has to offer in story mode, shall we?

Once you click Story Mode, you come to a screen featuring three stores. The story begins in the smallest store, where Belle is standing. Selecting this store starts your game off, and you’re rewarded with a snippet of back-story for choosing this, as well as your first view of Belle’s scrapbook. The scrapbook has three tabs, which you will want to read from: The Patrons tab, the Upgrades tab (empty as of yet,) and the story tab. Once you’ve peeked at all three, you’re set to move on.

Your first shop starts up with various stations, three chairs for customers to sit in, and of course, the cash register! At the very top of the screen you’ll find an information bar, which tells you what level you’re playing, what your goal score is, and the expert score to beat. In the top right corner you have a clock telling you how much time you have left. As predicted, there is a tutorial provided.

The tutorial walks you through each step of play, and explains each icon in clear detail. Whether or not you’ve played this kind of game before, I highly recommend running the tutorial.

After you’ve finished the tutorial, you’re all set to open for real. Game play advances quickly, and you have to learn to multi-task. Belle’s Beauty Boutique is a game that is all about the customer and making them beautiful. The happier your customers are, the faster you take care of them, the more points you earn. Each day you progress down the path on the map screen is another step toward a bigger, better, fancier shop.

Ah, but the game is not solely revolving around beauty. As with many other games of this sort, you must concentrate on a few different ideals. It is my belief that games of this sort promote the growth of time management skills, attention to detail, and at times a great deal of patience. You will fail the game if you take too long, or if you try and rush. You must meet your customer’s needs to the fullest for them to tip you well.

Snip, shampoo and style your way to expert level for the optimal score, and if you’re quick enough you’re able to rake in huge amounts of points by giving a Super Makeover. A star icon filling in the top right corner of the screen indicates a Super Makeover.

You can check out “Belle’s Beauty Boutique” at the Arcade Town website. You can either download the free trial or purchase the full version of the game.

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